A range of activities, projects and events can be funded, for example:
- professional skills development, including mentoring and residencies
- the creation of new work
- practice based research
- creative development
- experimentation
- collaborations
- touring
- festivals
- productions
- exhibitions
- performances
- publishing
- recording
- promotion and marketing
- market development activity
- activities that creatively engage communities.
Eligibility
Only individuals and groups may apply to this category. You must be an Australian citizen or an Australian permanent resident, and a practicing artist or arts professional.
Applications for funding to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts panel must come from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals or groups.
Only one application may be submitted to each closing date for Arts Projects for Individuals and Groups.
Artforms and Assessment Panels
You must choose which peer assessment panel you wish to apply to. The panels are:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts
- Community Arts and Cultural Development
- Dance
- Emerging and Experimental Arts
- Literature
- Multi-art form
- Music
- Theatre
- Visual Arts
Assessment Criteria
You must address three assessment criteria in this category. For the third criterion, you will be asked to choose the main outcome your project will deliver.
Under each criterion are bullet points indicating what peers may consider when assessing your application. You do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.
- Quality: Peers will assess the quality of the artistic and cultural activities at the centre of your proposal. They may consider:
- vision, ideas and artistic rationale
- benefit and impact on career, artistic and cultural practice
- level of innovation, ambition, experimentation or risk-taking
- rigour and clear articulation of creative, engagement or development processes
- significance of the work within the relevant area of practice and/or community
- contribution to diverse cultural expression
- timeliness and relevance of work
- quality of previous work
- responses to previous work from artistic or cultural peers, or the public.
- Viability: Peers will assess the viability of your proposal. They may consider:
- relevance and timeliness of proposed activity
- skills and ability of artists, arts professionals, collaborators or partners involved, and relevance to activity
- realistic and achievable planning and resource use, including contingency and COVID-safe plans for activities involving public presentations, national or international travel
- appropriate payments to participating artists, arts professionals, collaborators, participants, or cultural consultants
- the safety and wellbeing of people involved in the project
- role of partners or collaborators, including confirmation of involvement
- the diversity and scale of income and co-funding, including earned income, grants, sponsorship and in-kind contributions
- where relevant to the project, evidence that the Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts have been adhered to
- evidence of appropriate consultation with participants, audiences or communities.
- Meets ACA’s Strategic Plan:
- Australians are transformed by arts and creativity: This criterion is about Australian audiences and experiences. For example, your project may
- create and share new work with Australians
- create engaging cultural experiences
- provide opportunities for communities to come together, celebrate and connect
- provide creative and accessible experiences in unexpected places and ways
- increase and diversify participation in arts and culture, particularly among diverse cultural groups and regional / remote communities
- increase the experience of First Nations arts and culture by Australians
- explore emerging mediums and digital technologies to create, share and experience art, creating connections with new audiences
- demonstrate strong audience development and engagement strategies.
OR - Our arts reflect us:This criterion is about diversity, access and equity. For example, your project may
- enhance, strengthen and celebrate community and social connections
- address barriers to participating in or experiencing arts and culture
- support artistic and creative work that reflects the diversity of contemporary Australia
- support artists and arts professionals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those in regional and remote Australia, to make work
- supports artists and arts professionals with disability to extend their arts practice, networks or skills
- support First Nations people’s artistic and cultural expression
- engage young people in the creation of work.
OR - First Nations arts and culture are cherished: This criterion is about First Nations self-determination and artistic and cultural expression. For example, your project may
- strengthen and embed First Nations arts and culture within arts and cultural organisations, leadership roles and sectors
- grow experiences of First Nations arts and culture by supporting artists and organisations to create and present work locally and/or internationally
- promote greater access and participation in First Nations arts experiences
- support opportunities for First Nations arts and cultural practitioners to build global networks
- support First Nations young people’s artistic and cultural expression
- uphold First Nations cultural rights through self-determination and recognition of cultural and intellectual property.
or - Arts and creativity are thriving: This criterion is about creation, capabilities, distribution and reach. For example, your project may
- enable Australian artists to create new works
- enable risk taking, experimentation and freedom of expression in the creation and realisation of new works
- develop the skills and capabilities of artists and arts professionals
- develop sustainable and viable artists careers, including diverse income streams or business models
- support a safe environment and wellbeing for people working in the arts
- enable national or international opportunities for Australian artists and arts professionals
- engage international audiences with Australian work
- use emerging technologies to experiment with content, format, delivery or business models
- develop strong partnerships and collaborations.
The third criterion tells ACA how the outcomes of your proposal meets their strategic goals, as described in their Corporate Plan.
You must choose one of the four options that best reflects the primary outcome of your proposal. Please contact Artists Services if you are unsure which criterion to select.
Peers will consider how your proposal contributes to the outcome you select. Remember, you do not need to respond to every bullet point listed.
Pre-recorded Information Session
An information session was held on February 10, 2021 and the information from that recorded session also applies to the next two rounds of funding. Please ensure you watch this session in its’ entirety before commencing your application!
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Closing Dates
Tuesday, September 7, 2021 at 3pm AEST, for projects beginning after 1 December 2021
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 at 3pm AEDT, for projects beginning after 1 June 2022.
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application approximately 12 weeks after the closing date.
Note: To apply, you must be registered in the ACA application management system a minimum of two business days prior to the closing date.